From the Editor: Merry-Noel
Chamberlain is a teacher of the visually impaired and holds National Orientation
and Mobility Certification (NOMC). She lives in Des Moines, Iowa, and demonstrates
high standards for Braille reading. The point she makes in the following article
is important. This is what she says:

Merry-Noel
Chamberlain

As Braille readers, sighted
or blind, it is our responsibility to inform public establishments when their
Braille signs are not correct. Let's face it, most hotel and restaurant managers
and owners have no knowledge of the Braille code. In general, people trust that
the sign manufacturers have exactly translated the print sign into correct Braille.
In fact the Braille is very often correct. But what about when it's not?

Since
learning Braille, I have been checking out the signs around me. Setting aside
the problems resulting from no Braille at all, I have discovered five categories
of Braille signs: Beautiful Braille, Braille Shorthand, Braille Scribble, Braille
Misinformation, and Braille Art. None of these are transparent dymo-tape, pressed-on
Braille. I am referring to the Braille that is formed as part of the plastic
template of the sign. Sign manufacturers boast in large neon orange circles
that their signs "Conform to Americans with Disabilities Act: Grade 2 Braille."
Therefore managers and owners naturally trust those professionals to produce
perfect signs in Braille as well as in print.

If
the signs are in contracted Braille, have no missing contractions, use proper
capital signs, and transcribe the print exactly, I call this Beautiful Braille.
In fact, most of the signs I have read do contain beautifully written Braille.
But what about the rest room sign in a popular restaurant where the Braille
text under the printed word "MEN" and picture of a wheelchair was
written beautifully, aside from the lack of a whole-word capital sign (dot 6,
dot 6)? I call that Braille Shorthand. This type of Braille is rather popular.

I
spotted Braille Scribble, on the other hand, at a popular casino. Both the MEN
and WOMEN signs were written as follows: "(dot 6)M(dot 6)E(dot 6)N"
and "(dot 6)W(dot 6)O(dot 6)M(dot 6)M(dot 6)E(dot 6)N." Who makes
such signs anyway? Simply put, Braille Scribble is written by people who are
just learning Braille and haven't yet learned the proper rules of the Braille
code. I have also seen signs on which the word "ACCESSIBLE" was written
without the double-C contraction. Then there was the Braille sign, "Handi-cap."
A friend told me of upside-down Braille on an elevator. (I have yet to see that
personally.)

Let's
not forget Braille that incorrectly transcribes the print. I call this Braille
Misinformation. At another popular establishment the Braille under the print
word "WOMEN" and picture of a wheelchair read "women accessible"
with no double-C contraction and no capital signs. This sign actually falls
into two categories: Braille Scribble and Braille Misinformation. The Braille
should have read "Women Wheelchair Accessible." I also found
a sign at the door of a hotel meeting room that read "Breakfast Area"
in print but "Pioneer Room" in Braille. So which was it--the breakfast
area, the Pioneer Room, or both?

I
saw another Braille Misinformation sign proudly displayed at a popular office
supply store. The pictures on top showed a man and a woman with a line between
the two stick figures. To the side was a picture of a wheelchair. The word "REST
ROOM" was printed under these pictures. Under the printed word in Braille
was simply "rest room handicapped" (no capital sign). The visual reader
would see immediately that it was a handicapped-accessible, unisex rest room.
Of course the pictures were raised, so the reader could assess additional information
by tactile means other than reading Braille, assuming that he or she found the
pictographs in the process of getting to the Braille.

However,
I found the worst Braille sign of all at a popular fast-food restaurant. Under
the MEN and WOMEN rest room signs were decorative, but not practical, groups
of hard plastic droplets, which somewhat simulated Braille. The hard pointy
dots were so crammed together that the Braille was completely distorted. The
most proficient Braille reader would have had trouble attempting to read it.
I simply call this Braille Art for the sighted.

I
would hope that, if a manager received a printed sign that read "WoMeN",
"mEN", or even "Handi-cap," he or she would return the sign
to the manufacturer for correction, no questions asked. I'm sure managers would
return a sign if a print letter was backwards or upside-down, so shouldn't they
return a sign if the Braille is not acceptable?

I
informed the managers or owners of all the establishments mentioned above that
the Braille was not correct. Did any of them change their signs? No. Why not?
Too expensive? The sign manufacturers convinced the owner that the sign was
correct? They didn't think it was important enough to fix? Whatever the reason,
we have the responsibility to check public Braille signs and inform the proper
individuals about incorrect Braille. It is important for our early Braille readers
to read correct Braille. Sign manufacturers should not be getting paid for producing
inadequate Braille. If enough of us complain to establishments about incorrect
Braille, they will be forced to fix it.

So the next time you Braille
readers are getting ready to walk into a public rest room, hotel meeting room,
or elevator or just happen to come across a Braille sign, take a second to touch
the Braille. Psst, pass your knowledge on so that we can have beautiful Braille
everywhere.